Who Is Molly Ringwald's Husband? All About Panio Gianopoulos

Molly Ringwald and Panio Gianopoulos have been together for over 20 years

Molly Ringwald and her husband, Panio Gianopoulos, have been together for more than two decades.

On Feb. 1, 2023 the Sixteen Candles actress celebrated their love story with a sweet Instagram post. "Today, the 'getaway car' and I are together 22 years!" she wrote alongside two photos of them. "Happy anniversary to us! 3 kids, 3 dogs, 1 cat and a lot of love. Best decision I ever made. Here's to 22 more, at least❣️."

In 2003, they welcomed their first child together, daughter Mathilda Gianopoulos. The couple added two more kids to their family in 2009 with the birth of their twins, daughter Adele and son Roman.

At the time, the actress was starring in ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Speaking to PEOPLE, she praised her husband for helping her juggle motherhood and a career. "It really helps to have a very supportive partner and a lot of flexibility," she said.

So, who is Molly Ringwald's husband? Here's everything to know about Panio Gianopoulos and his relationship with the actress.

He's a writer

Gianopoulos is an author and former book editor. He has published two books: the novella A Familiar Beast and a short story collection How to Get Into Our House and Where We Keep the Money. He writes both fiction and non-fiction and his short stories and essays have appeared in a number of magazines, including Tin House and Salon.

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Ringwald spoke about Gianopoulos' literary prowess. "He's a writer — it's what he's always done, he's never wanted to do anything else," she said. "As opposed to me, where I'm a singer, I'm an actress, I'm a writer. That's it, for him, it's all about writing."

He is also a businessman. He has a degree in literature from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. In 2018 he co-founded The Next Big Idea Club, a nonfiction book subscription.

He and Ringwald married in 2007

Gianopoulos and Ringwald tied the knot on July 6, 2007, in a private ceremony.

In 2019, Gianopoulos shared a wedding photo on Instagram with the caption, "12 years married today, still making each other smile ❤️."

Their courtship started by email

The couple met online in the early 2000s, shortly after Ringwald separated her from her first husband Valéry Lameignère, to whom she was married from 1999 to 2002.

Ringwald and Gianopoulos were talking about books with mutual friends in an online literary salon when they hit it off. Soon, the two started to email back and forth before making plans to meet up in person.

He has a black belt

Gianopoulos is a trained martial artist who used to teach a martial arts class.

In a 2011 essay for Parade, Ringwald described him as being "far too good-looking to be taken seriously." She recalled that her marriage had just ended and she wasn't looking to date anyone at the time she met Gianopoulos, a man who she said was "wholly inappropriate" due to their seven-year age difference.

On top of all that, she said, "never mind that he wrote and edited books and was a second-degree black-belt in karate."

After sending flirty emails for a while, he offered to teach her some self-defense, a meeting that became their first date.

He made tzatziki for their first date

On their first date, Gianopoulos taught Ringwald some basic martial arts moves before inviting her over for dinner, making tzatziki with lots of garlic.

In her essay for Parade, Ringwald explained that she'd been afraid it wasn't actually a date because of the meal, writing "Who prepares garlic on a first date? Had I misread everything?"

Speaking to The Palm Beach Post, Ringwald said the two of them both now enjoy creating food for their family. "I'm a really fancy chef. I'll take two days to prepare a meal," she said. "My husband's the get-it-on-the-table chef in our house."

They have 3 kids

Ringwald and Gianopoulos share three kids together. They welcomed their first daughter, Mathilda Ereni Gianopoulos, on Oct. 22, 2003.

"I'm a little more strict with her than my husband is," she told PEOPLE in 2008. "But that's because he's a father, and she has him wrapped around her little finger."

In her book, "Getting The Pretty Back," Ringwald describes how choosing Mathilda's name was an ordeal. Gianopoulos explained to her that in the Greek culture, it's customary to name the firstborn after the father's parents. Once Ringwald discovered she was having a girl, though, she balked at giving her daughter the same name as her mother-in-law; ultimately, they came to a compromise, using the name Ereni as the middle name instead.

On July 10, 2009, Ringwald and Gianopoulous welcomed fraternal twins, a daughter named Adele Georgiana and a son named Roman Stylianos. "It's exhausting, but it's wonderful," she told PEOPLE.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping, Ringwald praised her husband as being "an amazing father." She went on to say, "I thought because I was a woman, I would know what to do all the time, but I really think he's the natural."

He has acted with Ringwald

Gianopoulos is part of the literary scene but he also has a little bit of acting experience. He appeared on a season one episode of The Secret Life of the American Teenager alongside his wife.

He has also appeared onscreen as himself in several documentaries about JT LeRoy.

They write together

Although she's known for her roles in iconic romantic comedies and being a member of the Brat in the 1980s, she's also an author. Her first book, Getting The Pretty Back, a memoir, was published in 2010. Two years later, she published When It Happens To You, a work of fiction.

"I really like writing next to my husband," she said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "I feel incredibly comfortable," she added. "I love to have him there so I can pat his knee — I find it very comforting."

Speaking to Publishers Weekly, she shared that Gianopoulos "is the only person I share the story with as I go along. He is incredibly helpful."

And it appears to go both ways. He told the Los Angeles Times that Ringwald is the first person who reads his work and that he frequently goes to her for feedback. "Very often, she'll have great insight," he said.

They always have date nights

In an interview with Good Housekeeping Ringwald said they "always have date nights."

"Sometimes my husband tries to get a little adventurous and will sign us up for a cooking class or a watercolor class, which is really nice," she continued. "We mix it up — you know, surprise each other a little bit."

On Instagram, Ringwald shared another romantic tradition of theirs, writing "Every year my husband writes me a poem. He hand writes them in a little book and gives me the only copy. I published this one in my first book of essays and it still makes my heart swell 💗."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.